Review by: Hartmann, Werner (2004-11-01)

Due to ever more powerful computers, it has become relatively easy to include dynamic visualizations in computer-based multimedia learning environments. It is usually assumed that dynamic processes can best be presented by dynamical representations. However, recent research indicates that learning from dynamic visualizations is anything but straightforward and that creating a mental representation from an animation can be a cognitively difficult task for learners.

The article by Richard Lowe focuses on interactive animations with a high degree of learner control, that is, animations which allow the learner to process the content in his or her own pace. Learners not only have to deal with spatial aspects of the graphical representation of the animation, but are also forced to investigate temporal relations. The article especially explores the extent to which providing user-control over an animation allows domain novices to extract relevant and coherent information about the content subject of the animation.

A study examined how novices explore a user-controllable meteorological weather map to predict the following day’s weather pattern. It addressed specific questions such as what strategies do novice learners invoke when interrogating an interactive animation and how do they handle with spatial and temporal aspects of the animation.

Deficiencies in the students’ predictions suggested that the learners failed to extract relevant information. Students’ strategies were found to be highly localised, both spatially and temporally, with a focus on isolated features rather than global aspects of the animation. The results suggest that providing user control over an animation may not of itself guarantee that students will focus on the relevant content information. User control does also not of itself guarantee that the animation will enhance the construction of a coherent mental model. There is evidence that this shortcoming is especially predominant for novice students with little domain-specific knowledge. It would seem that these students need stronger guidance in an interactive animation.

The study also reveals other interesting research questions, e. g. there seem to be indications that students will explore changes of multimedia objects in position more than changes in form. Further investigations of the relationship between form and position changes may be an important design issue for future multimedia learning designers.